Combination signal and radio aerial



y 20, 1947- T. 1.. DALTON COMBINATION SIGNAL AND RADIO AERIAL Filed May20, 1943 A TTORNE Y N 0 0 R0 m. N/ m: u m *M.

Maw,-

..... I. .J AR Q. .rlAF/A w Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,420,772 COMBINATION SIGNAL AND RADIO AERIAL Thomas L. Dalton,Kansas City, Mo. Application May 20, 1943, Serial No. 487,767

1 Claim.

This inventionrelates to a combination waming signal and radio aerialand more particularly to the provision of a position or warning signalon an extensible radio aerial oi the type especially adapted for use onmotor vehicles and boats; the principal object of the invention being toprovide a signal at the top of an extensible radio aerial andilluminating said signal without interference with the capacity or.operation of the radio aerial.

One of the most serious hazards in highway travel is in the approach ofvehicles over the crown of a hill or around a curve the visibility ofwhich is obscured by embankments and the like that the drivers of theapproaching vehicles have no warning of parked or slowly operatedvehicles on the far side of the hill or curve.

It has been found that a pole or the like of sufiicient height to beraised to a position that it can be seen by approaching trafiic may beeffectively utilized for carrying. warning signals. Most present dayautomobiles are provided with radios and use extensible aerials, but theaerials are not suitable for use in carrying illuminated signals becausethe current necessary for energizing the signals creates a field aroundthe conductors leading to the signal and said field interferes with andreduces the capacity of the aerials. The advantages of the warningsignal on a pole or the like are such that, if necessary, a, second poleis justified, but it is desirable to eliminate all extra projections andmechanisms on the vehicle.

Other objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide asignal adapted for use on a radio or like aerial; to provide means forillu-- minating a signal on a radio aerial; to provide meansfortransmitting light through an extensible pole; to provide forilluminating a signal on the top of a radio aerial without the use ofwires are illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a vehicle equipped with a radio aerial having anilluminated signal thereon embodying the features of the presentinvention, the same being shown in raised operative condition.

Fig. 2 is a. detail vertical section through the aerial and signalshowing the relation of the several parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section through the aerial extending andcollapsing mechanism on the line 3+3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section through the aerial on the line4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is. a detail transverse section through the aerial on the line5-5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section through the aerial on the line6-6, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section through an aerial showing a modifiedform of the device for illuminating the signal.

Fig. 8 is a detail transverse section through the modified form ofaerial on the line 88, Fig. '7.

Referring more in detail to-the drawings:

I designates a motor vehicle having a radio aerial I mounted thereon andprovided with an illuminable signal member 3 at the outer end thereof.The aerial preferably consists of a plurality of tubular extensiblesections telescopically disposed one with respect to the other, therebeing 'a top section I, one or more intermediate sections 5 and a bottomsection 6. All of these sections are preferably tubular and the uppersection is capable of telescoping with the intermediate section 5 andthe intermediate section, with the top section 4 telescoped therein, maybe telescoped within the lower section 6.

The bottom sectiont is preferably mounted on an insulating member 1which is secured to a housing 8 in which a spool 9 is disposed. Thespoo1 9 is mounted on a spindle l0 extending through a bearing member IIon the housing. 8 and is adapted to mount a crank l2 on the outer endthereof for rotation of the spool to wind or unwind a tape l3 on saidspool. The tape member is adapted to extend upwardly in the'tubularsection of the aerial for connection to the lower end of theuppersection 4, as at ll, whereby unwinding or winding of the tape on thespool moves the telescopic section into extended or collapsed conditionrespectively. The upper and intermediate sections are preferablyprovided with enlarged and reduced portions I5 and I6 respectivelywhereby, when the outer section is fully extended relative to theintermediate section, the shoulder I 1 formed by the enlarged portion l6engages the shoulder it formed by the reduced portion of theintermediate section to draw the intermediate section outwardly relativeto the bottom section 6. The lower section of the aerial may be properlyconnected to the radio circuit by an antenna wire I! as is wellunderstood in the art.

The apparatus heretofore described forms an extensible radio member andthe particular construction forms no essential part of my inventionexcept for the portions that are necessary to the operation of theaerial in combination with and as a supporting member for the signal nowto be described.

The outer end of the top section 4 is preferably provided with a reducedportion 20 adapted to receive a downwardly projecting rod 2| of theilluminable signal member 3 all of which are preferably of transparentligh't transmissible material such as Lucite or the like. The rod 2| ispreferably of the same length as the aerial section 4 and is telescopedin a tubular member 22 preferably formed of the same material as the rod2|. The tubular section 22 is preferably of the same length as theintermediate aerial section v5 and the lower end thereof istelescopically received in a tubular bottom member 23 of lighttransmissible material, said bottom member extending into the housingand having its lower end 24 preferably mounted on and closing areflector 25. Mounted in the reflector is a source of light such as a,light bulb 26 mounted in a socket 21 and adapted to be energized by asuitable source of electric current (not shown) through conductors 28and 29. In order that the intermediate tubular section 22 of lighttransmissible material may be moved with the radio aerial section 5, theupper end of said tubular section is provided with boss 30 adapted to beengaged by a boss 3| adjacent the lower end of the aerial section 4.

In using an apparatus constructed as described, the housing 8 ispreferably mounted on th interior oi the vehicle On a suitable support,as at 32, with the bottom member 6 extending through an aperture in thebody of the vehicle. It is preferred that the tape member extend throughthe bottom and intermediate sections of the aerial exteriorly of thelight transmissible sections, whereby engagement of the tape with thesides of the aerial section and the light transmissible sections offerssufllcient support to the flexible tape member thus said tape member canoperate as a column in compression.

When it is desired to use the radio or the signal, the crank I2 isturned to unwind the tape l3 from the spool 9, thus moving the outersection 4 together with the signal illuminable member 3 and the rod 2|upwardly relative to the interme-' diate sections 5 and 22. When theouter sections have reached the extent of their movement, engagement ofthe shoulders i1 and i8 and the bosses 30- and 31 permit furtherunwinding of the tape to move the intermediate sections 5 and 22outwardly relative to the bottom sections 6 and 23 until the signal andaerial have reached a desired height. The radio may then be operated asdesired regardless of operation of the signal and the signal may beilluminated by proper energization of the light 26 whereby lightreflected upwardly from the reflector 25 through the light transmissiblemember 23, light transmissible member 22, and rod 2| illuminates thesignal member 3. Not only is the light directed upwardly through thematerial of the members 22 and 23 but also upwardly through the passagestherein and into the rod member 2| to illuminate the signal member 3 asa warning to other veh-icles in adjacent territory. Since the lighttransmissible members are not conductors of electricity and no currentis passed therethrough, there is no interference or reduction incapacity in the radio aerial.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the lower section35 of the aerial extends into the housing 36 and into engagement withthe reflector 31, as at 38. The upper end of said aerial member 35 isprovided with a reduced portion 39 for slidingly receiving theintermediate section 40 which is also provided at its upper end with areduced portion 4| to slidably receive the outer section 42 of theaerial. Mounted in the open upper end of the section 42 is anilluminable signal member 43 adapted to receive light from a lightsource such as a light bulb 44 enclosed by the reflector 31 and the basemember on the aerial 35. The inner surfaces of the aerial members arecoated with a light reflecting material, as indicated as 45, 46 and 41whereby the light may pass directly through the tubular members and isreflected from the sides thereof for transmission to the signal member43 for illuminating same. 7

In order to move the respective sections to extended and contractedpositions, respectively, a tape 48 is provided on a spool 49 in thehousing 36 and adapted to extend through an insulated opening 50 in theaerial member 35 and upwardly through guide grooves 5| in the respectiveaerial members for attachment to the lower end of the upper aerialmember 42 as at 52. The tape member is preferably perforated, as at 53,in such a manner as not to interfere with light being reflected back andforth from the reflecting surfaces on the inside of the tubular member.The base members of the aerial may be connected to a radio circuit by anantenna wire 54, as in conventional practice.

This form of the apparatus is actuated in substantially the same manneras the preferred form of invention that is to say it is being moved toextended or contracted position by unwinding or winding the cable on thespool. The passage of light through the tubular members for illuminationof the signal member does not affect the capacity or operation of theradio aerial.

It is therefore apparent that a convenient, relatively economical andefiicient waming signal is provided at the upper end of an extensibleradio aerial and that illumination of said signal is effected withoutinterference with the capacity or operation of the radio aerial.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a radio aerial of the character described, a plurality of verticallyslidable tubular telescoping sections, a housing having an opening atthe top thereof, means for supporting the lower telescoping section insaid opening in the housing forming a continuous opening from saidhousing to the top of said aerial, a spool in said housing, a flexiblemember wound on said spool and adapted to be unwound to move thetelescoping sections to extend said aerial, a light source in saidhousing adjacent the lower end of the lower section for divertin lightrays upwardly in said sections, a signal on the outer end of saidaerial, and light directing means substantially continuous with theaerial for conducting light rays from the bottom of the aerial to saidsignal at the top of said aerial, said light directing means beingspaced from the outside telescoping sections to acoommodate saidflexible member so that said flexible REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bairey Nov. 23, 1937 WilliamsNov. 19, 1940 Cohen Aug. 12, 1941 Byrne Sept. 19, 1939 Shapiro Mar. 14,1944 Lavery Apr, 25, 1911

